Top 5 frames you have ever ridden

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shimmeD
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Location: eNZed

by shimmeD

Bespoke, because it's made for me especially.
Less is more.

airwise
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Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:31 pm

by airwise

My ratings would be dependent on the type of ride I was doing and the type of terrain.

I will say however that riding a Colnago C59, which I bought purely for the paint job, has been a revelation. Undoubtedly the most balanced carbon frameset I have ridden to date.

For every day riding, an old custom Seven Axiom built to be sturdy rather than light has been and remains a superb bike, again wonderfully balanced just not quite as urgent.

After that, both the Cannondale Super Six HM and Neil Pryde Alize handle superbly particularly when pointed downhill and finally the Look 595 remains a classically smooth balanced ride that shows a number of modern offerings that maybe the priorities are not where they should be.

I look forward to riding something better still.

by Weenie


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mrfish
Posts: 1749
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:49 pm
Location: Near Horgen, Switzerland

by mrfish

Parlee Z5SL
Parlee Z4
Cervelo R3SL
Colnago C40 = Pinarello Galileio
Merckx Corsa 01
Ribble SLX
Custom Excel Steel

Parlees were pretty similar, just that the Z5SL rides a little bit better and has a slightly stiffer head tube. Balanced by the fact that the Z4 had nicer paint. With cosmic ultimates both are hillclimbing weapons or with Shimano C24s you can ride on gravel roads all day. Big thanks to Parlee for turning the Z4 into a Z5SL under warranty when the Z4 weirdly started to crack in the middle of the seat tube.

I had a go on a friend's R3SL. It was a nice bike, objectively better than the C40. But no beauty and I didn't feel any love.

The C40 is just a great bike, definitely about 10 years ahead of its time. I have one from about 1999/2000 with a conical downtube, bigger chainstays and normal seat stays in Rabobank colours. I don't ride it much now, normally its reserved for the odd summer ride or commute and for when friends from Oz come over. Even if the ride was rubbish (which it's not) it would be close to top because of the paint which looks great but is clearly artisanal in a few areas. Also the Italian BB was a pain when the bike was new until I discovered threadlock.

Pinarello Galileio is a bit of a sleeper - it's a mid range aluminium bike with bendy carbon stays and bendy onda fork. It looks good and the finish is perfectly executed. Ride is pretty bad compared to the C40 but it's not really a bike for all day use. I build mine with Ultegra / Dura Ace and mid range parts so it was heavy but nice on the flat as it feels really stiff with sharper handling than the C40 and Parlees. It's now about 6 years old and my cousin still rides it regularly. Tempted by a Dogma as they look great even if stupidly expensive and heavy.

The steel bikes are pretty rubbish compared with the carbons. I don't know how I used to ride down hills at over 50mph on them, since they don't go where you point them. The custom Excel steel was a mistake in retrospect. I wanted a light steel bike - it was extremely light and looked nice, but the tubes were slightly smaller than normal so not exactly stiff. It got dented easily and one time it fell out of a rack on the A40 when the downtube squashed. Also the dropout cracked. Not good.

The Merckx is better and goes as fast on a club ride as a carbon bike, but feels like riding a spring. Mostly I use it to pull my son on a tag-a-long bike.

The Ribble came from an era where a "superbike" cost £1000. It was my first proper road bike and helped me ride Land's End to John o'Groats, win a few races, get under the hour generally soak up 10 years of punishment without breaking or rusting (fully chromed all over under the paint). I quite liked its handling, however the fork alone weighed more than the Z5SL's frame and forks and things have simply moved on since it was new.

So if you have plenty money I'd recommend the Parlee, ideally with custom paint. If not, I'd recommend you buy the bike you find most exciting since objectively there is not much real difference in performance.

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SalsaLover
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Location: Zürich, Switzerland

by SalsaLover

The best frame I have ridden is probably the C-40 B-Stay

The second best is the C-50, which is my current bike which keeps me fully satisfied.

If I would buy a new bike I could be happy with a NOS C-40 B-Stay or probably a C59, but the C50 is so good that I am not lusting for any other bike in the moment.
Hucken The Fard Up !
Colnagos : C50 ST01 - Master 30th AD10 - C40 Mapei WC

User Name
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by User Name

My first Soloist was the best one I ever had, and I'm spewing I sold it

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SDP
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by SDP

Most of them only owned one bike because of the 'bradley cavendish' effect


Pugrot wrote:But where are all the dogma owners proclaiming the asymmetric design and curvy bits gives the most latterly stiff / vertically compliant ride and was the best money ever spent?


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coloclimber
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by coloclimber

1. Colnago C59- makes me smile every time I ride
2. Colnago Extreme Power- phenomenally versatile
3. Pinarello Dogma- so well balanced and easy to ride hard
4. Colnago Conic SLX- heavy as sin but its the only bike I have ever won races on
5. Look 595- excellent ride but with quirks in manufacturing and quality

Not making the list but worthy of mention:
Look 585, Time VX Special Pro, Time VXRS, Lemond carbon ?(Kelly benefits team bike), Stevens CX,

Utterly forgettable Bikes:
Look 586, Specialized S-works Roubaix, Time RXR, Time Cross pro, Parlee, Trek 5900, Trek madone 5.9, Cervelo R3SL, Cervelo SLC-SL, bianchi boron
-Deacon Doctor Colorado Slim

UncleJamsArmy
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:07 pm

by UncleJamsArmy

1. Crumpton Corsa-M (current ride)
2. Tesch 101
3. Cannondale Team Six-13
4. CAAD 10
5. Hampsten Gran Paradiso (Ti)

andyindo
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue May 12, 2009 10:03 am

by andyindo

I’ve only really got 3

1. Colnago C40HP –Love this bike. Its not the stiffest or lightest but it just seems to do everything well. I’d love to try a EPS or C59
2. Principia RS6 Pro – Bought this second hand for £180 and it turned my eyes into how good aluminium can be. Was gutted when it broke.
3. Pinarello Dogma FP – Model before the fabled FPX, I really enjoy this frame. Incredibly smooth but still stiff.

The Pinarello and Principia are equal imo

Also owned a Cannondale SuperSix, Colnago Mix, Speedvagen
None of those are as good as the top 3 above.

I’ve ridden a bit on a Dogma 60.1 and in my short experience with it I’d rate that as No.1 . Incredible bike….

Irish
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Location: Ireland

by Irish

Vitus 992 (me & KELLY can't both be wrong)
Giant TCR( at the time)
Pinarello Prince ( very neutral, does everything equal, but doesn't excel in any 1 area)
Colnago Conic
Zullo sl

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kbbpll
Posts: 494
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by kbbpll

Colnago Master (2010, Tubi Speciali)
Raleigh Competition GS (1980, 531)
Sears Free Spirit (Ted Williams!!? 1970, raw iron)

serbelo
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 6:31 am

by serbelo

Parlee Z3sl
Parlee TT
Cervelo R3
Cervelo P2
Pinarello Treviso (1984 steel)


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Cervelo R2.5
Cervelo P2c
Cervelo R3
Parlee Z3
Parlee TT

Clubagreenie
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by Clubagreenie

Ridley Damocles 2010
Ridley Noah 2011
Ridley Helium 2012

However the number 1 Kuota KOM Pro tour edition
2012 KUOTA KOM Team Edition Campag SR11 .....My mistress
2012 RIDLEY HELIUM being built up ....

Enda Marron
Posts: 383
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 6:03 pm
Location: Belfast

by Enda Marron

Parlee Z5 sl - initially I was underwhelmed but once set up correctly is amazing
Cervelo R3 sl - a well balanced yet fast frame, only bettered by the Parlee
Cervelo P3C - Loads of wins and PB's; stiff fast & comfortable
Cannondale Caad9 - use it as a Winter bike, very comfortable and fast
Principia Rex e SX pro - wow super stiff, super built alloy frame, sizing did not suit me but it was a joy to ride

solarider
Posts: 577
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 9:08 pm

by solarider

I guess I have to assess each based on my age and fitness at the time and what I looked for in a bike. My number 1 favourite (Merckx MXL) was the bike that I raced when I was in my late twenties and at the peak of my fitness. I am sure that if I rode it today in my mid forties I would find it heavy and uncomfortable, but at the time, it was a beautiful riding bike and served its purpose better than anything I have ridden since.

1) Eddy Merckx MX Leader - stiff, robust, beautifully made, rode like no other
2) Colnago C40 - like floating down the road, and perfect geometry
3) Seven Axiom - my first custom bike, and despite owning several titanium bikes since, still the best
4) Cannondale CAAD5 - felt space age at the time (BB30, internal headset, oversized main tubes with slim seatstays), but it felt light, smooth and comfortable despite the aluminium tubes.
5) Moots Vamoots RSL - on paper the best bike I have ever owned, and certainly up there in the top 5, but not the very best because it lacks the fabled titanium ride comfort, but it is craftsmen built, stiff, light, comfortable and probably the bike that I will end up keeping for the longest (or until road discs come out in force)

Not many mentions of the other end of the scale in terms of the worst, but here goes. Suprisingly, some of the same brands appear at both ends of my scale, so brand loyalty is not alway a guarantee of success.

1) Specialized Allez Epic (the original aluminium and carbon glued together) - broke every one I owned (3 in one season!). Noodly, lacked stiffness and broke easily.
2) Pegoretti Responsorium (shock, gasp, blasphemy!!) - lacked the ride quality of steel, and despite a beautiful paint job, never really lived up to the hype
3) Seven Aerios (now the Axiom SLX) - triple butted, super light, but somehow didn't ride very nicely at all. Not smooth like ti, and didn't feel as light as I had hoped.
4) Pinarello Prince (aluminium/carbon version)- Pinarello's hiccup between the steel and carbon eras.
5) Specialized S Works M2 - ugly, harsh, poor geometry

I have still got every Pro Cycling and Cycle Sport magazine ever published. Always fun to look back at different eras of bikes. The late 90's/early 2000's were not a vintage era. Before that, bikes were slim, Italian, steel, sexy looking things built by craftsmen. With the end of Indurain's reign, then came the aluminium era and the early days of carbon (and sometimes a mix of the 2!), when bikes, components and kit really got hit by the ugly stick hard, until things looked up again of late post Armstrong (no reference to him BTW, just trying to reference a point in time), and todays kit will stand the test of time I think.

Just to prove my point, how many posts are there swooning over reinvented steel classics? (lots) How many posts are there swooning over modern kit? (lots) How many posts are there reminissing about late 90's bikes, early aero wheels, 9 speed etc? (none).

by Weenie


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